Of special interest is a section devoted to cocktails based on brandies and eau de vies — all of them distilled from grapes or other fruits — rather than such classic spirits as gin, rum, whiskey, tequila and vodka. (Don’t worry, the list features smart takes on those, too.) The three I sampled were spectacularly good — and not quite like anything I’ve ever tasted.

The Looking Glass was a translucent, cloudy shimmer of Slivovitz (a plum brandy) and Kirsch (cherry brandy) mixed with unfiltered Nigori Sake, flavored with a trace of passion fruit and orange bitters. I had expected high-proof heat and some sweetness; instead I got grace and smoothness coupled with a delicately dry quality. A whole kefir lime leaf added a trace of perfume toward the end. It’s a knockout.

So is the Horns of Hattin cocktail, based on Cognac, red Vermouth and Arak, an anise-flavored grape brandy from Lebanon. It’s poured over ice, and lime and mint give it a citrusy, herbal lift that feels right for summer. The Arak makes it all happen, conferring a distinctive earthy note that fascinated me. It seemed far more complex than most licorice-flavored spirits.

About that Horns of Hattin name: it’s typical of the historical and cultural references Frankel has woven into his drinks list. It has an “every cocktail tells a story” vibe that will be part of the fun for patrons interested enough to ask. In this case, putting together European spirits with Middle Eastern Arak, Frankel tapped the site of a major medieval battle between French/European colonists in Jerusalem and an army of Muslims under Saladin.

For the brandy-based Looking Glass, rather less seriously, Frankel appropriated the name of the band that performed the execrable one-hit-wonder “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” back in the 1970s. I kind of wish I didn’t know that.

When I asked about the source of the Aunt Julia, a pink slip of fizz that was like a champagne cocktail squared, Frankel said that the Pisco involved — a Peruvian grape brandy — had made him think of Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa’s Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, about a student who has an affair with an older woman.

With its pear liqueur, lemon and sparkling rosé wine, the Aunt Julia is bound to be a hit with the ladies. My favorite part: when the aroma from the bruised lemon peel perched on the rim invaded my skull.

The cocktails are priced at $8 to $13. My Looking Glass was $10; Horns of Hattin $8; and Aunt Julia set me back $12. (During Happy Hour, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, three of Frankel’s new creations are priced at $7.) Frankel is already making his tonic water in house, and patrons can add it to their drinks for $2 a pop.

And about food: you can avail yourself of the casual Bar Annie menu, which features such items as chef Robert del Grande’s peerless barbacoa enchiladas; or even order off the more formal and big-deal RDG menu. Right now that features some beautifully seared sea scallops with a multidimensional green mole, caramelized yuca, pickled fennel and watercress, as a for instance.

Frankel’s busy training the cordial bar personnel and mixing drinks and plotting new features. Bar Annie already had one of the handsomest settings in town, with sweeping views of Post Oak Boulevard and a dramatic outdoor terrace. Now it’s got the drinks to go with them.

I’m already thinking about my next visit. I’m ordering the Palm Wine Drinkard, described as a “classically styled wine cobbler on crushed ice,” made with Lillet, seasonal fruit, dark rum and African palm wine, which is a curious favorite of mine.